Choir
Choral Director / Randy VanWingerden
In all of the choirs here at GRCHS we seek to foster a love of good choral music, develop life skills to enable singers to continue using their talents well after high school, but ultimately our primary goal is to praise God with the gifts He has given us.
The Choral Music program at Grand Rapids Christian HS consists of four choirs that meet every day. All of the choirs perform in our major concerts; a fall concert entitled, “Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs”; then “A Christmas Celebration”; a concert of majors works with our band and orchestra; Pre Festival concert; a spring concert with a different theme each year. All of our choirs participate in District Choir Festival in March, and those that receive Superior ratings typically go on to State Choir Festival in May.
Our Freshmen Choir is exactly what it sounds like – a choir for the incoming freshmen. In this choir we emphasize developing the skills and knowledge base necessary to progress into the other choirs. We study beginning music theory, sight reading using Solfege, and the fundamentals of good singing. The choir also prepares music to be presented in our department’s major concerts.
Women’s Chorus is primarily for sophomore girls but is also open to junior and senior girls. In this choir we continue to build on the foundation of Freshmen Choir by continuing the study of theory, more advanced sight reading, and reinforcing the fundamentals of good tone and breathing.
The A Cappella Choir is the large choir made up of juniors, seniors and sophomore boys. This choir does not limit its repertoire to a cappella music but does focus on music suitable for larger choirs from the master composers to Broadway and Spirituals.
Chamber Chorale is the smaller, select ensemble of juniors and seniors. Membership is by audition only. This choir averages 25-30 performances a year for church services, community groups, school assemblies, etc. This group has received many awards. Most recently, in 2006 the Grand Rapids Christian Chamber Chorale received a perfect score from all three judges at Michigan School Vocal Music Association State Choir Festival and was selected to perform at the Youth Arts Festival as one of two “Outstanding Choirs” in the State of Michigan.
Meet Choral Director
Randall Van Wingerden
Randall Van Wingerden has been the choir director since 2005. Mr. Van Wingerden received a Bachelor of Music Degree in K-12 Vocal Music Education in 1977 from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan and a Master of Arts in Teaching Degree from Calvin College in 1990. Randy has taught vocal and general music at Eastern Christian Schools in North Haledon, New Jersey- 1977-80; Calvin Christian High School and Middle School in Grandville, Michigan- 1980-2005. In addition to choirs and general music at Calvin Christian, Mr. Van Wingerden taught middle school keyboarding and high school American History, co-directed the musicals, as well as coached baseball and softball. Since the fall of 2005 Randy has taught choirs 9-12 at Grand Rapids Christian High School. Choirs under his direction, at both middle school and high school levels, have consistently received good and superior ratings at District and State Choir Festivals.
Since 1988 Mr. Van Wingerden has been a member of the Calvin College Alumni Choir under conductors Anton Armstrong, Charles Smith and presently Pearl Shangkuan. For the last fifteen years he has also been the assistant conductor of this group.
Randy has served the Michigan School Vocal Music Association in a variety of capacities; four years as District 10 Manager, three years as high school Region A/SSAA Honors Choir manager, two years as high school Honors Choir Coordinator, and is in his twelfth year as Executive Board Director of Honors Choirs. In 1997 he conducted the 7-8-9 SATB State Honors Choir, and in 2007 the 7-8-9 SSA State Honors Choir.
Randy is a Lifetime Member of the American Choral Director’s Association.
Randy lost his first wife to cancer in 2003 and now resides in Wyoming, MI with his wife Victoria and two step-daughters. His two daughters live in the Grand Rapids area, one expecting the first grandchild of the family in November of 2008.
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